Interest blooms in glass flowers

Using a torch that produces arrow-like flames of more than 1,300 C and melting glass tubes to create artwork, 23-year-old He Yang wants to cultivate a flowery spectacle representing all the cities in China.

After graduating from Changsha University in June, He opened a lampwork glass store on Chaozong street in Changsha, Hunan province, with three of his classmates, all of whom majored in clothing design.

The store allows people to experience how to make beautiful objects from melting glass tubes.

To do this, the artist heats the glass and shapes it using various tools and techniques, such as blowing, sculpting, and fusing different colored glass together.

He posted videos of himself making different objects when he was still in college and his expertise attracted a large number of followers.

After he posted a video where he made a glass chrysanthemum — the city flower of Beijing — the number of his fans increased considerably.

Cumulatively, He now has more than 100,000 followers on social media, including the platforms Xiaohongshu, Bilibili and TikTok.

"It usually takes us more than one week to make a flower, and we have finished making 10 different ones, but we intend to make all 600 or so city flowers in China," he says. He promises his fans that he will make a flower that represents their city, regardless of how long it takes.

During the recent 19th Asian Games held in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, He made a set of more than 200 osmanthus flowers, the city flower of Hangzhou. It took him two weeks to complete.

He started to learn about lampwork glass techniques last January while in Jingdezhen, Jiangxi province. He took a five-day class to learn the basics, and has since learned from online tutorials and a lot of trial and error.

"My skills and techniques have definitely improved from last year and I think I am very gifted in the craft."

In order to create the flowers, he first researches the history and culture of the city, the shapes of the flowers and what they symbolize.

Afterward, he tries to come up with an artistic expression of the flower.

"The glass flowers are not an exact copy of the real thing. We need to find ways to make sure they can be made into glass, while also maintaining the essence of the flower," he says. "The key to our work is to make sure the flowers are beautiful and pleasant to the eye."

Most of his customers come to the store because they have seen his videos on social media. Most are young people and students, even middle school students, He says.

"Young people like to experience new things and they also like beautiful items, so our store is a good choice for those interested in art," he says. "They are also fans of traditional Chinese handicrafts, but they do not know where they can learn about them, so our store is a good choice."

After they come to the store and experience glass making, they will often post their work on social media, so it is a good way to further promote the store, according to He.

He charges 199 yuan ($27) for a one-hour session, and the five-day tutorial courses cost 3,900 yuan for each person. He says he makes sure no one will leave "empty-handed" after they sign up for the courses.

"For the one-hour session, we need to stay right beside our customers to guide them and make sure they are safe. In cases where they are not adept at it, we will make one for them, so they can still take something home," he says.

Dealing with a torch and flames is hazardous. One time, he nodded off while making a flower late at night, and the flame scorched his thumb, He recalls.

The five-day training session is more like a "boot camp" as He and his colleagues need to make sure the customers learn all the basic techniques, he says. If they are slow learners, they will need to work extra late, he adds.

Thanks to the novelty of lampwork glass and the power of social media, there is a large number of inquiries for the flowers made by He and his colleagues, and the store is already making a profit.

Simple flowers usually cost several hundred yuan, and the more complicated and intricate ones can cost several thousand.

Also, as certain parts of the more complicated flowers are very thin and delicate, it is impossible for them to be delivered through express delivery. Therefore, he asks his customers to come to Changsha and collect them, he says.

All flowers are unique, as it is impossible to do a replica of one even if he wanted to, he says.

"The prices are relatively lower than the market average as we are only starting our business and most of our buyers are young people and students," he says.

"However, as we become more sophisticated and well-known, and the quality of our work improves, the prices might go up, as it is difficult to put a price on art."

He says he first decided to open the store in April and found a suitable four-story apartment, which was a complete mess. It took them about a month to refurbish it.

He says that he tends to be patient and is not easily irritated, and it is impossible to make any Chinese art without patience.